Eating Meat – The “Doctrine of Devils”
…Some say that it was not God’s original plan for us to eat meat. His original plan was for us to go around naked, but things have changed…
Dear Pearls,
We have heard that eating meat was not God’s original plan for man and that it is unhealthy. Since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, it stands to reason that we should not eat meat. This would also seem to apply to dairy products. I also wonder about the wisdom in consuming any of the forms of caffeine. My husband thinks I am nitpicking, making a big deal over nothing, but I believe otherwise.
A reader
Michael Answers:
You heard that eating meat is unhealthy? You heard wrong. The latest, most up-to-date scientific evidence is that meat is very good for you. Soybeans and pasta will kill you, after it diminishes your sex drive and shrivels up your backbone, but meat—red, juicy meat, with a little sizzled fat, will keep you alive longer and put some kick in your love life. Have you never noticed all the bent-over, pale and sickly vegetarians?
You said it was not God’s original plan for us to eat meat. His original plan was for us to go around naked, but things have changed. His original plan called for us living in a garden with a health food tree that sustained life, no matter what you ate (Gen 3:22 with Rev 22:2). We live on a cursed earth and eat cursed vegetables and grains (Gen 3:17-18) and cursed meat (Rom 8:21), putting them into a cursed body everyday. So forget about how Adam and Eve lived. The question is: What is the will of God under our present circumstances?
Scripture throws a great deal of light on this Satanic doctrine of abstaining from meats. Read 1 Timothy 4:1-5. It tells us that “in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” Did you read it? God created creatures to be eaten. When he created the cow, he had Sunday roasts and Saturday night steaks in mind.
He said meat “is good, and nothing to be refused.” All meat “is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” I eat only sanctified cows, deer, pigs, rabbits, rattle-snakes, chickens, and iguanas. I once ate a parrot worth about $1,000.00. I was in the jungle, and at the time it seemed like a good idea. Tasted terrible. I wouldn’t recommend it. I even ate a long-legged crane for supper one day. We had to have two platters just to hold the drumsticks. Another time in the jungle, I caught a boa constrictor about ten feet long. Those watching said it caught me, but I barbequed it and invited the natives. About twenty showed up for the after-church dinner. It was the longest meal I ever ate. Tasted like chicken, of course. I had turtle on the half shell once. It comes with its own bowl, you know. Once was enough. I won’t gross you out with stories of the unclean things I have eaten. I prayed over all these “creatures” given by God “to be received with thanksgiving.”
My children have eaten almost everything that crawls, jumps, or slithers. My daughter has eaten live grub worms. The total doctor’s visits for sickness, of all my children put together, wouldn’t pay one nurse’s salary for a week. At fifty-eight, my immune system is so high, I’m even immune to criticism. And none of us eat toe food. Now, don’t go away with your feelings hurt. Read some more Scripture on the subject. God commanded, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” (Gen 9:3).
God commanded the Israelites to eat meat. In Exodus 12, he commanded every man to kill a lamb, roast it, and eat all of it, with no leftovers. And then he told them that it would be an ordinance that they should eat this Passover lamb every year forever.
In Luke 22:7-15 Jesus ate the Passover lamb, and promised to do so again after his second coming (v. 16). No Jew could be a vegetarian at Passover.
Killing and eating flesh was a blessing from the LORD according to Deut. 12:15-16. When God visited Abraham, he and two angels ate milk, butter, and meat (Gen. 18:1-8). Did you get that? Read it yourself. God ate meat! When Jesus had an opportunity to direct the multitude in what constituted a good meal, he fed them bread and meat, and even saved the leftovers (John 6:11-12). On another occasion, Jesus prepared a meal for his disciples. It was also bread and fish (John 21:12-13). After Jesus’ resurrection, when he was in his glorified eternal state, he ate meat in their presence (Luke 24:42-43). When we sing the song “Come and dine, the Master calleth,” it is to a table spread with meat, not celery and almond butter.
God advertised the Promised Land as a place flowing with milk and honey (Deut. 26:9). The Bible predicted that Messiah would eat butter and honey (Is. 7:15). Would you deny your son butter and honey when the Scripture so clearly says it was good for Jesus to eat both?
A Christian who feels guilty for eating meat is said to be weak in faith (Romans 14:2). Religious vegetarians had their Scriptural support jerked out from under them long ago, so they have shifted strategy, telling us that the Bible does not command us to abstain from meats, but that it is wise to not eat. Was Jesus unwise when he ate dairy and meat and fed it to others?
Don’t get your health advice from religious women or cult magazines trying to steal your liberty in Christ and bring you under bondage to the Mosaic Law. Ignore any health publication that is trying to sell you something or that is based on a “new age” worldview.
Michael Pearl
Related Articles
The Doer of the Word
Although the man was old and stooped, he walked with the urgency of driven youth.
Raising the Bar
Ashley Pearl
For the past year, I have had the privilege of discipling the remarkable youth group at our church. Watching these teens’ growth in Christ has humbled and inspired me like…
As a Dr. of Orthopathy and seeing and working with people that are dying everyday of preventable diseases, ingesting animal flesh is not advised. The animals that are consumed today are not at all like the ones consumed even 100 years ago. To me it is not about eating animal flesh or not, the issue is ingesting drugs, the definition of food, and the quantity that is ingested. Animal flesh contains phosphoric, uric, sulfuric, and nitric acid along with ammonia. All of these acids must be eliminated through the kidney, leading to kidney damage and influencing elimination that sets the stage for all disease. The way these animals are killed is also a concern. They are afraid and release the same hormones that humans do. When we ingest something our bodies make, they stop producing it. These hormones from flesh when ingested, weaken our adrenal glands. This also hinders elimination and normal hormone production. These animals are pumped full of drugs and steroids. I don’t believe this was God’s intention and would find it hard to believe that Jesus would walk into a slaughterhouse and approve of how these animals are treated. I believe as Christians we are supposed to be mindful of everything that we put into our bodies; what we eat, drink, watch, listen to, and the people we choose to be around. All of these things effect not only the physical but the spiritual as well. What is considered food today is nothing more than drugs being pushed onto our society by big corporations. We are in a different time, a crucial time in history. I believe that because of this taking care of our bodies and minds is more important than ever.
Your concerns about the animal food products are equally true of the vast majority of plant food products. With the proliferation of GMO products as well as the fertilizers and other chemicals and diminishing soil nutrients, the problems with plant based food may be even greater. The plants today, like the animals, are not the plants of 100 or even 50 years ago, prior to the “green revolution”. As the article says, concern over food for health reason is understandable and acceptable. It is the elevation of such concerns to the level of biblical doctrine that is the problem.
about not eating pork.
I cannot believe I could NOT find one post where it said they cannot eat pork!
Has no one read the bible? This was the perfect question to show why it is wrong to make an opinion by reading one sentence. It is so important to start reading a few paragraphs before a sentence you are making a decision on to find out what the subject is and then continue to read until the subject changes.
If you continue to read the next 2 pages you will find that God was going to send his apostle to preach to the gentiles to let them be included in salvation and had no connection with a change in eating unclean foods!
God only used the food laws to let Paul understand his position to let gentiles be saved if they accepted God.
Please, don’t take just one sentence and make a stand on it.
Sorry, but you will find nothing has changed. eating unclean foods is still forbidden
Even many pastors priests ect fall down on this.
study more than one sentence before taking a stand on things.
shame to all of you that think eating unclean foods are now ok to eat.
Allan
Have you ever heard of the “Blue Zones”? They are areas in the world where people live the longest & healthiest lives. In the majority of these blue zones their diet is strictly vegetarian & plant-based. There’s actually a huge Seventh Day Adventist commune up in Northern California that is one of these blue zones and they eat a strictly plant based diet. The reason for the increase in longevity of life in these blue zones is a combination of plant-based diet and love through a closer community of family & friends. 3-4 generations of family stick together & live together. Even if there’s a very old great aunt who’s been widowed or never married, she lives with family.
I believe that we are not meant to eat meat and anything in the Bible that says otherwise and promotes the eating of meat, even the sacrifice of animals is the work of the Devil. It even states in
Matthew 13:25
But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
That verse means that the Devil has worked through people to manipulate parts of the Bible. “It’s the Ether, you gotta separate the part that kills you from the part you drink.” – Clinton Scott O’Neal.
Meat causes all sorts of health issues such as ischemic heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes, diverticular disease, and colon polyps. When I quit eating meat I no longer had body odor. That’s because I was no longer putting toxins into my body for it to excrete out. Livestock farming is destroying this world.
“Some 80% of global deforestation is a result of agricultural production, which is also the leading cause of habitat destruction. Animal agriculture livestock and animal feed is a significant driver of deforestation, and is also responsible for approximately 60% of direct global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”
http://www.greenpeace.org
Psalm 115:16
The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.
Not to mention that the 6th Commandment is “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. That’s not just including humans, that’s anything with the breath of life in it. The 6th Commandment was changed by the Catholic Church to “Thou Shalt Not Murder” to justify killing in Gods name during the Crusades.
Throughout the Bible God is continuously trying to tell the Israelites that he doesn’t like animal sacrifice. In Isaiah 1, Psalms, Proverbs, and even in
1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Proverbs 21:3
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
For someone claiming to be a minister of God, you speak with an awful lot of mockery and arrogance toward those whose convictions differ from yours. You twist Scripture into a license for indulgence instead of an invitation to holiness. You seem to forget that God’s Word calls us to humility, compassion, and self-control — not ridicule.
Yes, Genesis 9:3 says, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you,” but that was spoken after the Fall and the Flood, when the world was broken and death had entered creation. Before sin, God’s perfect order was peace between man and beast:
“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed… and every tree… to you it shall be for meat.”
— Genesis 1:29
That was God’s original plan — one of harmony, not slaughter. Saying “things have changed” doesn’t make the old design evil; it only shows how far we’ve fallen from it.
You mock vegetarians as “weak in faith,” but you conveniently skip the rest of Romans 14 — the very chapter that commands Christians not to judge one another for what they eat:
“Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.”
— Romans 14:3
“It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.”
— Romans 14:21
The Apostle Paul wasn’t talking about “doctrines of devils.” He was speaking against legalism — not compassion. The early Church fasted often, refrained from meat in times of prayer, and many saints throughout history — including St. Francis of Assisi, John the Baptist, and even the prophet Daniel — abstained from meat out of reverence, not rebellion.
“Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s meat.”
— Daniel 1:8
So tell me, was Daniel listening to devils? Was Francis of Assisi “weak in faith” because he blessed animals and called them our brothers and sisters? Mocking those who try to live more gently toward God’s creatures isn’t strength — it’s pride. The same pride that blinds a man to the fact that cruelty, gluttony, and mockery are as much sins of the flesh as lust or drunkenness.
“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”
— Proverbs 12:10
We will indeed answer for every deed — including how we treat the animals God created and called good. No one is commanded to be vegetarian, but every Christian is commanded to show mercy and gratitude, not contempt.
Christ ate fish and lamb, yes — but He also rode humbly on a donkey, fed the multitudes with compassion, and spoke of sparrows as being under God’s care. He never mocked the gentle or those who sought to live with a kinder heart.
You might eat meat with thanksgiving — that’s your liberty. But remember this:
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient.”
— 1 Corinthians 10:23
It’s not what’s on your plate that honors God — it’s what’s in your heart.
And one more thing — beware of using the Bible to prop up your own narrative. Scripture was never meant to be cherry-picked to justify personal habits, arrogance, or mockery. When you use God’s Word to tear others down instead of building them up, you step into dangerous territory.
“Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”
— Matthew 22:29
Twisting the Word for ego or comfort is as wrong as denying it outright. God’s Word convicts; it doesn’t coddle.
So preach truth, not pride. The Lord will judge not only what we do — but why we do it.
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”
— James 3:1
To you and anyone who follows this man: be careful whose voice you trust. Not every loud preacher speaks for the Lord. Some twist His Word to make themselves look wise while leading others astray.
“For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
If a man uses Scripture to mock, divide, or boast, he is not serving Christ but himself. The day will come when every idle word and every false teaching will be brought to light — and no amount of clever talk or laughter will hide it.
Repent of pride, seek humility, and remember: the Word of God is not a weapon for the proud, but a lamp for the humble.
@Stephen, perhaps Jesus had reasons other than necessity for keeping Jewish law? The Apostle Paul circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3) not because it was necessary, but to show religious Jews that they respected them. Messianic Jews observe Jewish traditions to celebrate their culture and personal identity, not because they believe the traditions are necessary.
God knows we misinterpret what He says; that’s why He speaks so clearly and repeats Himself so often. So why didn’t He say in any of the NT passages about food that He was being metaphorical?
Just some notes on how Jesus was vegan for sure. All Biblical.
(1 Timothy 4:1-5) “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
So what does that mean? First, learn that the Bible was written in a metaphoric language called the Oracle.
(Hebrews 5:12-14) “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
When the Bible speaks about food, it means word.
(Hebrews 6:5) “and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,”
(Psalm 119:103) “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
(Jeremiah 15:16) “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.”
(Ezekiel 3:1-4) “Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness. Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.”
Paul called the Oracle tongues. When Paul spoke about food he meant word.
(1 Corinthians 14:18) “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;”
(2 Samuel 23:2) ““The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.”
(Isaiah 50:4) ““The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.”
When Jesus spoke about food such as bread and fish, He meant word of GOD. He was speaking in parables in oracle or tongues.
(Matthew 13:34) “All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,”
(Matthew 16:11-12) “How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
The doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees is the doctrine of many current day Christians. They got puffed up in their pride against GOD. They seduce people into believing that GOD only cares about them, and that everything other than their biblical interpretation is from Satan. They devour GOD’s gifts to mankind. Their tongues are deception.
(Psalm 52:4) “You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue.”
(Psalm 64:3) “Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,”
Jesus explained that nothing that enters you from the outside defiles you. That which comes out defiles you.
(Mark 7:14-23) “When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
This is in reference to that which you eat causing things such as murder to happen. If you buy and eat pork, then murder comes out of you. Someone then hangs a pug from a hook and slits its throat. The pug bleeds out and is chopped up for your type to eat. Murder comes out.
Jesus never taught anyone to eat meat. Over the veil of the biblical oracle, the Bible seems to teach that eating meat is good. Those who in their heart wanted justification for murder believed in what the Bible seemed to teach. Yet once they ate the word of GOD for thousands of years, the Word is unveiled. The Bible makes them bitter. They become bitter of other religions. They are even bitter of other Christina denominations. This happens because their heart becomes hard and they begin using the Bible as an excuse not to listen to GOD.
(Revelation 10:9) “So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.””
Their heart tells them that the Bible is a perfect excuse to keep killing animals when they don’t need to. Yet when the Bible is unveiled, their interpretations are vomited up. Because Jesus was vegan.
(Proverbs 23:8) “The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words.”
This next set of verses speaks about those who give heed to doctrines of demons and command to abstain from certain foods. Notice that the words “and commanding” are italicized. The italics means that those words were added in when translating the Bible. Added words are to help with comprehension, yet are not always correct.
Jesus reminds us that in keeping His word, we shall not taste death.
(John 8:52) “Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’”
That means more than one thing. First, Jesus’ word is about veganism. Those who are vegan don’t taste death because animals don’t die to feed them. Eating animals means to taste death.
(Psalm 5:9) “For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction; Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue.”
John chapter 8 verse 52 also means to not eat carnal doctrines. Those doctrines include the laws of the carnal nations. Carnal laws are doctrines of demons. They teach people to speak lies. They teach people to dismiss forgiveness and persecute one another. Once Christians tasted the death of the carnal nations, they forbade the churches to marry one another. They forsook each other. And their belly became their GOD. (Phillipians 3:19)
Lets look at 1st Timothy again. The foods spoken of are doctrines, not literal foods. The creatures of GOD spoken of are also spiritual doctrines.
We eat the creatures (spiritual doctrines) from GOD. Those who forbid GOD’s doctrines give heed to deceiving spirits. The galactic map in book 7 of this series is an example of a creature of GOD. It contains a spiritual astrology designed with the Bible and the Urim and Thummim. That food is allowed to be eaten.
(1 Timothy 4:1-5) “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
Even the Biblical doctrine is considered a creature that GOD created to be received with thanksgiving.
(James 1:18) “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
This doctrine has several creatures from GOD. Astrology, chakras, and tarot are a few of them. The Bible was preached into each of them. They were realigned using the Urim and Thummim so that they are now servants of the LORD. These are the creatures that GOD has ordained us to eat.
(Mark 16:15) “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Many people had used the Bible to justify immorality. They saw meat as a carnal and sensual thing that was obtained by killing animals. They didn’t see meat in the spiritual form that GOD intended. (James 3:15) (Jude 1:19) They fought against one another to protect their interpretations. They condemned alternate meanings and churches, worshiping their own interpretations (creatures) instead of the Creator. We are not to worship these doctrines.
(Romans 1:24-25) “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
Yes, Jesus offers veganism as a moral leap towards righteousness. Yet He doesn’t only eat vegetables. He eats fruits, nuts, seeds, oils, pseudo-grains, and more. There is more faith in putting down the flesh of animals than in eating it, because to do so you must overcome sensual weaknesses of carnal pleasure. (Romans 8:12-17)
(Romans 14:1-4) “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.”
Those who believe in Jesus eat His real food. They don’t condemn the other doctrines that GOD has anointed. It is the murdering others, even animals, that is from the Devil. The doctrines in this series are completely devoted to the LORD now.